Trigger 4, also known as Trigger Four, is an outdoor 1979 steel sculpture by Lee Kelly, located on the Reed College campus in Portland, Oregon.
| Trigger 4 | |
|---|---|
 The sculpture in front of the Studio Art Building on a snowy day in February 2014 | |
 | |
| Artist | Lee Kelly |
| Year | 1979 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Cor-Ten or mild steel |
| Dimensions | 3.7 m × 4.7 m × 3.0 m (12 ft × 15.5 ft × 10 ft) |
| Condition | "Treatment needed" (1994) |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| 45°28′49″N 122°37′33″W / 45.48035°N 122.62578°W | |
| Owner | Reed College |
Description and history
editTrigger 4 was designed by Lee Kelly and installed in front of the Studio Art Building on the Reed College campus in southeast Portland in 1979. Kelly had served as a visiting associate professor of art at Reed between 1976 and 1979.[1] Like the Studio Art Building, the sculpture was donated to the college by John Gray, who served as chairman of the Board of Trustees, and his wife Betty.[1]
The Cor-Ten or mild steel sculpture measures approximately 12 feet (3.7 m) x 15.5 feet (4.7 m) x 10 feet (3.0 m) and contains an inscription of Kelly's signature and the number 79 on the bottom of the post on the sculpture's northwest side.[2] The Smithsonian Institution describes the work as an abstract ("geometric") sculpture "whose primary forms are triangles and lines".[2] Its condition was deemed "treatment needed" by Smithsonian's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in February 1994.[2]
Reception
editFollowing the sculpture's installation, Reed magazine questioned whether it depicted a Chinese character, a horse, or simply an abstract figure formed by lines and angles, saying "perhaps the beauty of the new Lee Kelly sculpture... is that it can evoke different images and meanings."[1] The magazine also said the rust-colored sculpture provides a "striking contrast" to the blue roof and grey exterior walls of the newly constructed Studio Art Building.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Rusting steel forms newest campus treasure". Reed. 58 (4): 1. November 1979. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Trigger 4, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.